Meteorus porcatus Jones

Jones, Guinevere Z. & Shaw, Scott R., 2012, Ten new species of Meteorus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Ecuador reared at the Yanayacu Biological Center for Creative Studies, Zootaxa 3547, pp. 1-23 : 16-17

Meteorus porcatus Jones , new species

( Figs 38–40 )

Holotype Female. Body length 4.0 mm; fore wing length 4.0 mm.

Body color: Head brownish-orange, antennae brown; yellow body except for pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum dorsally bownish-orange; mandibles dull yellow with brown teeth; coxae yellow; tibia light brown; wings transparent light brown with light brown venation; tergites one and two orange; ovipositor yellow with brown sheath.

Head: Antenna with 28 flagellomeres; flagellar length/width ratios as follows: F1 = 3.5, F2 = 3.5, F3 = 3.0, F26 = 2.0, F27 = 1.8, F28 = 2.3; OCOD /OCD ratio 1.3, ocelli small; eyes nearly parallel and large with face maximum/minimum width ratio close to 1.0 and head height 1.3 X eye height; minimum face width/clypeus width ratio 1.2; malar space 2.6 X longer than mandible width; moderately twisted mandibles; clypeus, face and frons smooth; occipital carina complete.

Mesosoma: Mesonotal lobes defined, notauli distinctly concave; pronotum lightly rugose; mesopleuron smooth, sternaulus slightly foveate; metapleuron rugose; propodeum areolate-rugose.

Legs: Finely rugose hind coxae with white depression apically; tarsal claw simple.

Wings: Vein 3 RSa 0.6 X longer than vein r; absence of (RS + M)b at 2RS insertion point.

Metasoma: Ovipositor short, 1.5 X longer than first tergite; first tergite longitudinally costate, converging slightly at posterior end.

Variation of paratype females. Five female paratypes with body length (3.8–4.1 mm).

Cocoon. No cocoons were preserved.

Material examined.

Holotype female: Ecuador: Napo Province, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #2219, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 7 March 2005, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupated 27 April 2005, adult wasp emergence unknown, host caterpillar Arctiidae “h h”, host plant Asteraceae : Baccharis latifolia , chilca. Deposited in UWIM.

Paratypes: Ecuador: Napo Province. 5 females, reared at Yanayacu Biological Station with database number YY #2219, S 00°35.9’ W 77°53.4’, 2163 m, collected 7 March 2005, Yanayacu Road, parasitoid pupated 27 April 2005, adult wasp emergence unknown, host caterpillar Arctiidae “h h”, host plant Asteraceae : Baccharis latifolia , chilca. Deposited in UWIM.

Distribution. Known only from the type localities in Napo Province, Ecuador.

Biology. Meteorus porcatus is a gregarious species attacking an unidentified larval form of a species of Arctiidae known only as “h h” by the gusaneros. Six females were reared from this caterpillar; no males are known. The host caterpillar was found feeding on Baccharis latifolia (Asteraceae) .

Etymology. From the Latin form for “ridge” was used for this species to highlight some of the topography around the Yanayacu Center.

Comments. As a gregarious wasp utilizing an arctiid as a host, M. porcatus shares that quality with M. margarita and M. quasifabatus from this treatment. Meteorus oreo is the one solitary species reared from this lepidopteran family. No Meteorus species from Costa Rica are known to utilize arctiid larvae, while one-quarter of the Ecuadorian wasps do.

Meteorus porcatus is morphologically most similar to M. margarita , but can be easily separated by its distinctive yellow coloration, small ocelli, and moderately twisted mandibles. Meteorus margarita has a black head, large ocelli, and strongly twisted mandibles.

Figures

FIGURES 38, 39. 38. — Lateral habitus of Meteorus porcatus, new species: holotype female; 39. — Face of Meteorus porcatus, new species.

FIGURES 40, 41. 40. — Scanning electron micrograph of Meteorus porcatus, new species: lateral view of mesosoma (120 x); 41. — Scanning electron micrograph of Meteorus porcatus, new species: fore wing (80 x).